Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
Oh how the words of some hymns just linger in the recesses of your mind and nourish you with rich spiritual truths. Today I will feature the first two verses and the last verse of William Cowper’s hymn ‘There is a fountain filled with blood’
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains…The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away… …Read More!
On a day when Great Britain goes to the polls to decide who will be Prime Minister and which party or parties will have the upper hand for the next so many years one can feel the sense of anticipation and uncertainty. What? With all the unrest in the Middle East, the gradual rise of militant Islamic radicals in the homeland and abroad, the desperate and growing pleas of poor and helpless African migrants crammed onto paper boats heading for Europe on the tumultuous Mediterranean seas. Does the hope of the world lie in the outcome of the polls? Well, not quite.
Come away with me once more and visit the writings and quaint thoughts of an English man and former slave trader. His life at sea teemed with wonderful escapes, vivid dreams, and sailor recklessness. He grew into an abandoned and godless sailor. However after converting to Christianity, God completely changed his prioroities. In fact he penned one of the most recognizable hymns when he wrote –Amazing Grace. John Newton (1725) of Wapping, London, also wrote the hymn of our interest today – By faith in Christ I walk with God a very appropriate message to Christians in Britain and all over the world at such a time as this. The days ahead may be filled with snares and dangers, where many round me blindly stray but ….
1 By faith in Christ I walk with God,
With heav’n, my journey’s end in view,
Supported by his staff and rod,
My road is safe and pleasant too.2 I travel through a desert wide,
Where many round me blindly stray;
But he vouchsafes to be my guide
And will not let me miss my way. …Read More!
At a time muslim fanatics pride themselves in treating Christians and all others as inhumanely as they individually feel, I know there must still be a gleamer of a restless conscience among some Muslims. What can take away the guilt of murder? What can absolve any one of such sin and shame? The words of that good old Christian hymn says it all:
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Read more of this post
Some one has been working hard. Here is a collection of hymns of worship. Enjoy!
Ever wondered who worship is for? The Wittenburg Door has a good guide to understanding the mind numbing dynamics of contemporary Christian music. Plug your head phones in and grit your teeth…..
Thank you for choosing to worship with us today. If you are from a church that uses traditional hymns, you may be confused. Please take a moment to read through this guide to contemporary Christian music.
In our church you will not hear “How Great Thou Art,” “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” or “Like a River Glorious.” (Generally, hymns that have words like “Thou” are not used. They are too archaic and are normally replaced by words like “awesome” and “miry clay”). Yes, okay, we may do “Amazing Grace” or “Peace Like a River” at some point, but as a general rule we avoid songs with too many different verses or those that can’t be played easily on guitar and drums.
If you are new to worship here, you may wish to know the reasons for this. One is that deep theological concepts do not belong in contemporary Christian worship. We frown on songs that change more than one or two words for each verse. For example, our version of “Holy is the Lord” consists of repeating that phrase six times per verse and then changing “Holy” to “Worthy,” “Mighty,” “Jesus” and finally changing “the” to “my.” Isn’t that much simpler to sing and easier to remember? Read More
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 